Thom Kendall photoBrendon Levengood is in the running to replace the injured Caleb Violette as the UMass placekicker.

AMHERST – When Brendon Levengood and Jeff Strait reported for preseason camp at the University of Massachusetts, they expected to be competing against the heir apparent in punting and kicking.

While every position is an open competition at UMass, the loss of Caleb Violette before the first practice took last year’s punter and placekicker out of the mix.

None of the punters or kickers in camp have any game experience.

It isn’t quite the situation special teams coordinator/inside linebackers coach Joe Tricario expected when he joined UMass from Stony Brook earlier this year, but the competition in camp has made up for it.

“I think the guys have picked up the slack, they compete every day, they’re given an even workload and the whole thing is productive,” Tricario said. “They’ve got a series of kicks they’ve got to perform and we’re looking for the guys who are consistent. They’re handling it well.”

Violette had a broken foot that did not heal properly and will need to have surgery to repair it, taking him off the field for 2011. He was the starting punter in 2009 as a freshman, and handled punting, extra points and field goals last year.

Violette should qualify for a medical redshirt, leaving him two years of eligibility beginning in 2012.

While he watches from the sideline, two three-man competitions take place to decide who is going to do what he did last year.

“There’s always going to be competition no matter who it is,” redshirt sophomore Levengood said. “I knew there were other guys coming in besides Caleb, so I had to focus on my individual stuff and not worry about other guys.”

Levengood, who handled all the kickoffs for the Minutemen last season, is competing with senior Brandon Yelovich, a transfer who handled the kickoffs for Rice in 2010, and true freshman Andrew Ortiz.

Ortiz is in the punting mix as well, competing with redshirt sophomore Strait and sophomore Ray Pendagast, who is also a quarterback.

“I’ve been taking reps, Ray Pendagast has been taking reps and hitting the ball well and freshman Andrew Ortiz has been taking reps and he has a strong leg, too,” Strait said. “We’ve all been good and it’s all been pretty close.”

“It’s a pretty even competition. I couldn’t tell you who’s ahead right now because the guys are performing at a pretty high level,” Tricario said. “There’s some guys with some experience and the guys with less seem to have taken a step and are challenging. I wouldn’t feel bad about putting any one of them in a game right now.”

Helping the cause of the young kickers is an experienced long snapper in Travis Tripucka, who is entering his fourth season hiking the ball to punters and holders.

Strait is also taking reps as a holder on kicks, along with some of the quarterback competitors.

And to say Tricario is happy with the return game would be a gross understatement.
“The return situation is as good as anywhere I’ve been; we’ve got some guys that are electric and explosive,” Tricario said. “If we’re consistent, I think that will be a really positive part of our game.”

Wide receivers Jesse Julmiste and Chase Danska, defensive back Kirk Nelms, running back Jonathan Hernandez and more are in the mix for kickoff and punt returns.